Families of two Ministry of Defence employees still in captivity after the release of their four colleagues have raised fresh concerns, calling for urgent clarification on the women’s whereabouts and safety.
Six female Ministry of Defence staff were abducted on November 9 in Kabba while travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a promotional examination. The group had boarded an Andy Liz Motors Limited bus at First Gate, Festac, Lagos, before they were intercepted.
The abducted women were identified as Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. Catherine Essien, Mrs. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. Juliana Onwuzurike and Mrs. Chinwe Adline Emeribe.
Following the payment of ransom, four of the women were freed. However, two — Mrs. Chinwe Adline Emeribe and Mrs. Juliana Onwuzurike — remain unaccounted for.
A Ministry of Defence staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the kidnappers instructed that the ransom be delivered by a driver from Andy Liz Motors, the same company that owned the bus in which the women travelled. According to the source, the driver was directed to return the women to the Festac motor park where their journey began.
“But when he returned with an empty bus, families waiting at the park confronted him,” the source said. “He claimed he had dropped each of the released women at locations close to their homes. He also revealed that only four women were handed over to him.”
The source expressed frustration over the lack of updates regarding the remaining two victims, alleging that the Ministry has not taken sufficient steps to locate them or support their families.
He also raised concerns about why the driver and other survivors were yet to undergo thorough questioning, given the unresolved circumstances surrounding the release.
The staff member further questioned why employees were required to travel for the promotional examination despite the Ministry previously adopting a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format that allowed staff to write the exam from any location, minimising travel risks. According to him, the original plan was for staff across different states to take the exam remotely, but the directive was abruptly reversed shortly before the exam date.